We all went to the Scuttlebutt restaurant for dinner Sunday night. They fit us all in the back room which was great. There were about 17 people who went to dinner. Not everyone wanted to eat out. We had an awesome waitress so I hope everyone tipped her well. She was fun. After dinner there was movie night on the party dock. The movie was shown on the white cloth hooked to the host boat and we watched the movie ‘Mud’ with one of my favorite actors, Mathew McConnahey. The host served kettle corn and we brought what we wanted to drink with us. It was a fun night! Tomorrow the majority of us leave to come back to Brownsville.
The next morning we said our goodbyes to all and thanked our host for a great weekend and headed for home. A couple of boats from the yacht club stayed another day and one of them was heading north for their vacation. The weather was good and the water smooth.
Noreen is back to work, darn, and Dave and Ron are back to getting things attached and secured for the heater. Dave is almost at the end. Matter of fact he hopes to be completely done by Monday the 9th. That will be a great relief as he has been the one to crawl around in the tight spots and get all the wires and hoses run and hooked up. Whew!!!! Poor guys had to be a pretzel working long hours and only breaking for breakfast, and lunch. Sometimes he would skip lunch as he was so busy with stuff. He would always be done before Noreen got home and things were put back together.
Our plan is to leave here at the end of the week and be on the road heading south around the 13th or 14th. Unfortunately we will miss Carolyn and J.T.’s son (Christian) graduation from art school which is Sunday the 15th. We have to get home as hurricanes are revving up south of Cabo San Lucas and this is the time of year they have a habit of turning right instead of left and going out to sea. So we need to be back to Bahia and close to the boat so if a hurricane does move up the Sea of Cortez we will be there to secure everything and get the lines tied to the pilings instead of the dock. We have only been through a drill for a hurricane and thank goodness nothing happened, but weather is a strange phenomena and does whatever it wants and we have no control over it so we need to be prepared.
On Sunday the 8th Noreen made crab bisque on the dock. It is her older sisters’ recipe and they have done the party on the dock to celebrate then end of crabbing season and summer. A lot of people were there. Noreen had her some of her family there, lots of people that we know from the yacht club and those who live on their boats came to celebrate with us. Here is the progression on how it was made. The rue is the base of the bisque and that is made from boiling the crab shells. Fleeta, Ron and Noreen’s neighbor did that and added vegetables then froze it until we were ready to make the bisque. This is a cajun family recipe. Sunday afternoon a big stainless steel pot was put on a propane burner and the rue was add to the pot. It was heated and then that is where many hands got involved stirring and adding ingredients. Some of the ingredients I can remember going in it was old bay seasoning, lemon, sherry, crab of course, lots of butter and heavy cream. Here are some of the pictures of the progression and ingredients.
Once it was cooked, we ate and it was marvelous!!!! Very, very flavorful. There was lots of food so no one went hungry. Everyone brought a side dish and what they wanted to drink. It was a lot of fun and a wonderful way to end the summer. We have missed it for the last 4 years because of always having to go home around the first of September, but because of Dave putting in the furnace we are here longer.
We thought we would be able to leave Monday or Tuesday but there is still more work for Dave to do on the furnace. So we are pushing for either Thursday or Friday.
It seems just when Dave thinks he is going to be finished with the furnace something happens and parts are needed or troubleshooting done. In the meantime I am getting most of the items on my wish list, watching spending as we are getting low in the checking account. We’ve had to get all new tires for the jeep, new zippers for the mesh enclosure for the boat and a new bimini. That cost more than we thought it was going to. So it is only money right???? Easy come, easy go???? So we are watching the amount we spend. Once I have the important stuff on my list bought, I bide my time starting another afghan, this time for E.J. He picked his colors and it will take me a year working on it off and on. I am still working on the dragon cross stitch as well. I am trying to keep up my exercises and walking routine.
Went and saw the doctor for a physical and all is well. Got my shingles vaccination and all I need now is a colonoscopy. He put in the referral and I just have to wait and see when it can be done. Well unfortunately I’m not getting it done this summer as they can’t get me in until the middle of the month. That is just for the office visit. Then an appointment for the colonoscopy a week or two later. Just not going to happen this year. I told the doctor I would get it done next year. I am up to date on all my medical stuff so that will be the only thing to have done when I come back to the states.
Dave has informed me we will be leaving on Tuesday the 17th which means we WILL be here for Christians’ celebration. So I started walking the beach looking for rocks and shells to make his signature character. It was on his invitation and it was the first character he made in art school. I found some rocks and shells and rinsed them, let them dry and started gluing the character together. Unfortunately the weather has cooled and is damp so the glue isn’t setting hard. Bummer. I worked on the face first and made the eyes from barnacles and stuffed them with the tips of ear plugs. Then cut the tip of a beaded sewing pin and glued it on the ear plugs. I took a barnacle and broke it so I had two pieces for the front teeth. Once those were glued I took the cotton tip off a Q-tip and spread it underneath the teeth for the rest of the teeth and glued that. I used the plastic ring that is left on the water bottle after the cap is removed as the mouth. Then I glued 2 muscle shells onto a rock to use as his feet. Then I used an oval rock for the body and shells for the arms and hands. Anyway---I thought I was all done and brought it down inside the boat and set it up and was letting it dry thoroughly before I did the final sealant spray. No one touched it and it fell over and broke!!!!! That was on Friday the 13th and I needed it done by Sunday!!!! I was very discouraged but decided I would figure out a better way to make it. The head was good but unfortunately the body was too big and with the head, to top heavy. So back to the drawing board. The next day I walked the beach again in search of different items and brought them back to make another body. It ended up being shorter but it worked. I sprayed the sealant on it and it was finished!!!! That will be Christian’s gift from us.
Christian’s celebration party was a success and there were a lot of family and friends to help him celebrate. Unfortunately the weather didn’t co-operate and it thunder and lightning most of the afternoon. Dave and Ron showed up at the start but then went back to the boat to work on the furnace. Dave needs to get that furnace running. There was lots of food and drink and Christian had bought cigars for me, Dave, Ron, his mom, dad and brother to smoke in celebration. Unfortunately I had to take Ron and Dave’s to them as they never came back up. I think Christian was glad at least one of us was there to have the celebratory smoke with him!!! It was a great day for him and we are very proud of him and know he will go far and make a name for himself!!! Awesome!!
Monday, while Dave was doing the last bit of tinkering on the furnace, I took all the clothes and stuff I needed to pack in the large suitcase, to storage where it was and packed. I was able to get most of the stuff I bought in the suitcase so now Dave won’t get stressed out about where to put it. We had 2 duffle bags with the screens and bimini for the boat to go in the jeep so there wasn’t a lot of room with those and our 2 large suitcases. We took the large suitcases because we packed bulky clothes and shoes and such for NW weather in case it was cold. Then we had our overnight bags with smaller amount of travel clothes and toiletries. It was a very successful day as Dave got the furnace running. Yippee!!!!! He did it!!! Ron was a happy camper. Now the boat will get warm and be much dryer. It’s amazing how damp a boat gets when it’s been damp outside.
Now we can concentrate on packing and loading up the car. The last of the packing was done and we loaded it all in the back of the jeep and then said our goodbyes to Ron. We had already given Noreen hugs before bedtime last night. So now we are on our way to McMinnville, Oregon to see my niece, Sandi. I haven’t seen her in a long time. It will be good to see her and catch up.
We arrived at Sandi’s Wednesday afternoon. The weather was cloudy and it did sprinkle a little but otherwise it was good. Andy was at work so Sandi and us had a good time visiting. She looks really good and she is taking good care of herself. We are only staying overnight. Need to move on to Brookings to see the people who are interested in buying our boat.
When Andy got home from work, we sat and talked and Sandi made dinner and then afterwards we watched NCIS and NCIS Los Angeles which is 2 of our favorite shows as well. Sandi fixed us popcorn for desert. Then it was time for bed. Andy will be gone in the morning, but Sandi will be there when we get up.
I am very proud of Sandi. She has come a long way and I think she is finally figuring things out. Sometimes it takes us a while but we eventually get there. As we were getting our things together, the horse shoeing man came and was putting new shoes on Sandi’s horses. She has 2 very pretty ones. We said our goodbyes and vowed to see each other again next year. Maybe we will be able to stay a little longer. We left and got to Kristi and Roberts house in Brookings, Oregon around 5:00pm. We had a cocktail and snacks then we went to dinner. They took us to a great little place that serves martini’s and other different mixed drinks and good food. We had a good visit and they are great people. One thing they hated to tell us was the sale of one of their homes fell through so they can’t purchase our boat yet. We kind of figured something like that because Dave had talked to Robert earlier. No worries. Of course both Robert and Kristi and us are disappointed, but Robert and Kristi haven’t given up yet. They have to have the house they want to sell appraised and then put it back on the market. The price on the house was too high and for some reason the appraisal never got finished which caused the house to be listed too high. so now maybe they will be able to list the house at a lower price and it will sell. You never know how things are going to go in the housing and boat selling business. I think Robert and Kristi will remain our friends and we will be able to see them from time to time. They share a house in Loreto, Baja California Sur with Roberts brother. That is south from where we live and they come down around this time of year to stay for a while. So we are back to square one again with the boat, but like I believe, the time isn’t right yet. God will lead us and it will be great!!!! I have learned from experience!!! I don’t know what is best for us but He does!
We stayed overnight at Robert and Kristi’s and then we hit the road again. This time we are stopping to see my sister in Ukiah, CA. It too will be a short visit, as we need to be in Santa Rosalia, the first of October to pay moorage and also we will be closer to the boat in case a hurricane develops. There was one that came up the Sea of Cortez not too long ago, but it didn’t come as far north as Santa Rosalia. It crossed over to the mainland and wrecked havoc there. So far so good.
We had a good visit with my sister and Hig. It was very good to see them. They took us to Applebee’s for dinner then went back to the house and I checked email and Dave played pool with Hig. We didn’t get a chance to see Larry and Sheila as it was their anniversary and they had plans. It’s hard to see everyone on such a short visit. Next time!
When we left my sister’s, Dave drove for hours trying to get to Lois and Larry’s (our Mexico house landlords), but there was so much traffic (and this was a Saturday) we didn’t make it. We made it to the hotel at 6:00pm. It had been a long day. Lois and Larry had plans that evening so we couldn’t get together with them. We will see them in Bahia when they come down.
Because Dave was so tired from driving and me from sitting in the car for hours, I suggested we stay an extra day and go to Costco (which is across the street from the hotel) in the morning and that way we wouldn’t need to stop in Ensenada. Or so I thought. The next morning we took our time getting up and eventually walked to Costco and picked up a few things and went back to the hotel. We checked emails and I used the exercise equipment, came back, took a shower then went and sat outside by the pool. It was a very nice and warm day and it felt good. Not too hot or cold!!! When I returned to the room Dave was watching football. I watched a little with him and then I looked up on line where the nearest Walmart was. We found that it was within walking distance of the hotel so Dave and I walked about 3 or 4 city blocks to a shopping plaza where we found the Walmart. We looked around and decided we would wait and stop in Ensenada at the T.V.s but decided to wait and see if we could get a better deal somewhere else. Right now we are borrowing an old big T.V. from a friend in Bahia and we’ve been wanting to buy a more economical one so it won’t use so much power. But not yet. We walked back to the hotel and waited a bit before going to dinner. When we got back from dinner and came back to watch T.V.; then went to bed. We have to get an early start in the morning as we are crossing the boarder at Tecate. We don’t like crossing at Tijuana. The weather was sunny and comfortable so it was an enjoyable ride. The drive from Tecate to Ensenada is a beautiful one as it goes through the vineyards and farmland. It is very green and enjoyable. We got to Ensenada and decided to stop at Walmart where I got what I needed and then went to Costco, which is across the street to see if I could get tuna in the foil packets. They had them so a I got 2 boxes of them. There is 8 packets in each box. That will last me a while until we come back in November. We were hoping we could make it home tonight, but by the time we shopped and got something to eat, it was early afternoon and we wouldn’t have gotten home until about 6 or 7 that evening. So we decided to stay at one of our favorite places in San Quintin named ‘Jardines’!!! The name means garden and it truly is. They grow their own citrus and all kinds of plants. Little birds are chirping everywhere and it is just a relaxing place to be. The restaurant isn’t open on Mondays so we tried one not far from the hotel named ‘The Mill’. It was a really interesting place. Apparently a mill use to be there and it had all the memorabilia from those days. The dinner was good and we had a great time. Back at the hotel we watched a movie and around 10:00pm called it a night. We both were very tired.
We are on the road again and heading home. We should be at the house around 1 or 2. It will be good to sleep in our own bed and not have to ride in the jeep for a while. However, we do have to leave for Santa Rosalia on the 30th. But a few days in between will be nice. In a couple days we were unpacked and things were back to normal. I then started cleaning the art room as it is a total disaster!! It will take me a while to get all the shells and rocks and stuff organized and put away but when I am done it will be wonderful.
Today is the 30th of September and we are heading south to Santa Rosalia. We will be putting on the new side curtains and bimini. That will be great.
When we arrived the weather was warm but not hot and there was a nice breeze blowing. It had been in the 90’s in Bahia and usually Santa Rosalia is hotter. Maybe the weather is starting to cool. Before leaving Bahia I was not feeling too well. I was feeling as though I was getting a bladder infection. I was drinking lots of fluids but couldn’t get rid of the nagging ache and discomfort. Since we were going to Santa Rosalia I would ask Isabel, who manages the marina, if there is an English speaking doctor in town and get this taken care of. Somehow I doubt there is but I’m going to try. My Spanish is not developed enough to have a conversation with a doctor let alone anyone else!!!! Ha!!! I wish I had learned when I was young. Learning as an adult is much more difficult! I thought we would relax tonight and start working on the boat tomorrow, but Dave wanted to put the bimini on. He rinsed down the stainless steel and I dried it off. Then we both took stainless steel cleaner and went over the stainless steel to remove imbedded rust and dirt, and then the bimini went on. It looks nice!!! Poor old one had seen it’s better days and we were keeping it together with sail tape!!! Tomorrow the side curtains go on.
I spoke to Isabel about seeing an English speaking doctor and she said there is a doctor in town that knows a little English and she refers boaters who need medical attention to him. It is the same doctor I went to 3 or 4 years ago when I had a bladder and kidney infection. I was glad to be going back to him as he was very nice. At that time we were still cruising and we were getting ready to head south to La Paz. The marina manager, Carlos, at that time, sent his wife with me to interpret what the doctor said. Isabel said she would call the doctors office in the morning and see if she can get an appointment. It was late in the afternoon and she was getting ready to go home. She gets in at 9:00am so I will see her then.
